Paying a visit to the world’s most terrifying places may sound like a nightmare for many, but some globe-trotters consider it adventurous. If you are one of those, we have a list of 10 spine-chilling places that you might want to explore.
Here are 10 of the world’s most terrifying places:
1. Nagoro, Japan
Nagoro is a small village in Japan full of life-sized dolls. These dolls outnumber humans by nearly 10 to 1. Local artist Tsukimi Ayano had started creating lookalike dolls of her dead neighbours or those who had shifted to a different location. In the village, there are about 350 dolls and 27 humans — something enough to describe the place as a terrifying toyland.
2. Centralia, Pennsylvania
Back in 1962, a coal mine mysteriously caught fire in Centralia. A few years later, similar isolated incidents occurred – a gas station owner reported dangerously high gasoline temperatures in his underground tanks in 1979, and a boy nearly fell into a 150-foot-deep sinkhole in 1981. After these occurrences, residents started migrating to other locations. As of today, the town has many torn-down buildings and crumbled sidewalks. One might even see smoke coming out from the subterranean fires, which, as per scientists, will continue to burn for another 250 years.
3. Gomantong Caves, Malaysia
Gomantong Caves are home to two million bats that drop their faeces all over the ground and even on the handrails. Additionally, there are several million Malaysian cockroaches, hundreds of snakes, scorpions, and freshwater crabs living there. Still want to pay a visit? We doubt you want to.
Imagine a place where coffins aren’t buried but attached to the sides of cliffs. If you ever visit this location and look up, you will see dead bodies hanging in their customised afterlife homes.
5. The Door To Hell, Turkmenistan
The name of this place is enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine. Located in the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan, the “Door to Hell” is a 230-foot-wide crater that simply keeps on burning. The story behind this place dates back to 1971 when Soviet scientists, who were searching for oil, accidentally hit a methane reserve. The drilling platform collapsed, forming the crater and resulting in a dangerous gas release into the air. The scientists then decided to light the crater on fire to burn off the methane. Now, it has been burning continuously for over 50 years.
6. Snake Island, Brazil
As the name suggests, you will find an insane number of venomous reptiles on this island. Some reports even suggest that there is an average of one to five snakes per square metre here. The venom of these snakes is said to be five times stronger than their mainland counterparts. That is why the Brazilian government has banned the public from entering this place.
7. Haw Par Villa, Singapore
This 86-year-old Singaporean theme park has over 1,000 statues, each as strange as it gets. These statues are so bizarre that you will see a human head on a giant crab, among other peculiarities. The underworld-themed ‘Ten Courts of Hell’ is considered the main element of Haw Par Villa. To teach young children about morality, the models showcase different types of punishments, such as individuals getting cut in half by a saw for misusing books or people thrown onto a hill of knives for lending money with unreasonably high interest rates.
8. Mount Huashan, China
Dubbed “the most dangerous hike in the world,” this location in China is popular for its plank walk – a rickety, 12-inch-wide wooden path attached to the side of a mountain, thousands of feet off the ground. Many visitors hold onto loose metal chains while watching out for broken or missing planks at the same time. Some travellers claim that the hike is worth all the risks due to the beautiful temples and views at the summit.
9. Clown Motel, Nevada
Want to know about the creepiest accommodation? The Clown Motel in Tonopah, Nevada can give you Halloween vibes at any time of the year. It features brightly coloured doors, a polka-dot facade, and two 19-foot clown cutouts on either side of the building. Inside, you’ll find over 3,000 clown figurines. Sounds eerie, right?
10. Cerro Negro, Nicaragua
Climbing up an active volcano is thrilling enough, but imagine an activity where you have to sit or stand on a piece of plywood and slide your way down the slopes. Every person runs the risk of being burned by lava or breathing in toxins. It must be noted that Cerro Negro has erupted more than 20 times since 1850.
